SPACE WARNING: Debris ready to EXPLODE like GRENADES above Earth

It is believed some 7,000 tonnes of space junk circle our planet, as defunct satellites, junk from rockets and other metals and rocks build up close to Earth, which the ESA has warned could cause a problem for other satellites and even astronauts.

And if two pieces of kit collide – or worse an astronaut is hit – the effects would be similar to “an exploding grenade”.

A massive congestion of objects in space has led the ESA to demand that the debris needs to be cleared up, or we will face the consequences.

Experts fear regions in Earth’s orbit will become inaccessible for space flight as they essentially block the paths of rockets.

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SPACE WARNING: Debris ready to EXPLODE like GRENADES above Earth

Due to the speed that the objects travel at, it is thought they could cause a domino effect where one satellite wipes out another in an ongoing process.

In a newly released video, Holger Krag, head of space debris at the ESA, said: “It is not comparable to a gunshot.

“The energy contained in a one centimetre (0.4 inch) particle hitting a satellite at that velocity, roughly corresponds to an exploding grenade.